Russian Researchers Propose 'Combination Vaccination' Trial of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

Russia-developed and officially registered 'Sputnik V' vaccine / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Russian researchers developing a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine have proposed a clinical trial to the British company AstraZeneca to combine the vaccines each side is developing and administer them together.

According to major Russian foreign media on the 27th, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which supported the development of Russia's world-first approved COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V,' stated on its Twitter account on the 26th (local time), "If AstraZeneca conducts a new clinical trial, we propose a combined administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 'Sputnik V' to enhance efficacy."

Earlier, AstraZeneca and Oxford University announced that the initial data analysis from the Phase 3 clinical trial of their vaccine showed an average immune efficacy of 70%. However, participants who first received half a dose and then a full dose one month later showed 90% immune efficacy, while those who received two full doses showed 62% preventive efficacy.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford research team has not yet identified the cause of the differing immune effects depending on the dosage. In response, Russian researchers proposed conducting a clinical trial administering the Russian vaccine together with the AstraZeneca vaccine as a way to increase the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

RDIF announced that the second interim analysis of clinical trial data for 'Sputnik V,' developed by Russian researchers, showed an immune efficacy of 95%. They also revealed that under contract manufacturing agreements, 100 million doses of the vaccine will be produced annually in India and 150 million doses in South Korea.